The Prince George’s Soil Conservation District, along with the Bloomin’ PGC Partners, our Co-hosts, Linda Jones of Elements of Nature, Michele Coleman of A Heart 4 People Farm, and other local urban farming advocates, invite you to participate in our Urban Farmers & Growers Open Mic Night! These events are a platform for the urban farm community to collaborate and share relevant information. While the topics are aligned with soil health and conservation, any urban farming-related topics—land leases, equipment and supplies, staffing and volunteering, resource-sharing, grants, and mental health— are open for discussion. While the focus is on urban farmers in Prince George’s County, all farmers and growers , regardless of scale or jurisdiction, are welcome to join us!

This month’s Open Mic Night for urban farmers and growers is jam-packed with a seed swap, an interactive session on pest management, and more information on the county’s Climate-Smart Commodities Grant!

Agenda:

5:00-5:45pm: Seed Swap with Linda Jones, Elements of Nature Urban Farm

5:45-6:00pm: Grab refreshments & find your seat!

6:00-6:10pm: Welcome & Introductions

6:10-7:10pm: Ecological Pest Management, Dr. Cerruti Hooks, UMD

7:10-7:20pm: PGC Climate-Smart Commodities Grant, Julie Wolf, Department of the Environment

7:20-7:30pm: Announcements & Updates

Seed Swap

Bring seeds, take seeds, and network with local growers! Please make sure any seeds that you bring are appropriately labeled and set on the table in the appropriate section.

Ecological Pest Management

Managing pests can be a major constraint to agricultural production. However, each pest, whether an insect, disease, or weed, has an Achilles heel that can be exploited. As such, the goal of this presentation is to discuss how our knowledge of pests can be used to help manage ’em by exploiting their weak links.

Cerruti RR Hooks is a Professor & Extension Specialist at the University of Maryland in College Park. He has a BS degree in Biology from North Carolina Central University, an MS degree in Weed Science from NC State, and a PhD in Entomology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His areas of interest and specialisms are conservation biocontrol, sustainable agriculture, and organic farming. He works in agronomic and horticultural farming systems. His multidisciplinary research spans the entomology, nematology, and weed science disciplines.

Climate-Smart Commodities Grant

This grant is funded by USDA-NRCS and will provide direct financial, technical, and marketing support over a three-year period. The program will prioritize historically underserved and/or specialty-crop producers located in Prince George’s County, MD and will start in late 2024.

This is an in-person event with a virtual option. At least 15 participants must register by NOON the day before the Open Mic Night or it’s subject to cancellation. In addition, 12 participants must register for in-person to ensure this event will take place at the District office. Otherwise, the event will be virtual only or canceled.

For more information on the Bloomin’ PGC Urban Farm Initiative: https://www.pgscd.org/urban-agricultural-conservation/urban-farms/bloomin-pgc/

Bloomin’ PGC is an initiative launched by the Prince George’s County Food Equity Council in partnership with the Prince George’s Soil Conservation District, the University of Maryland Extension in Prince George’s County, ECO City Farms, Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, The Capital Market, the Prince George’s County Department of the Environment, and the Office of Food Security to support the growing urban agriculture movement in Prince George’s County.